...
By Martha McHardy
US News Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A person from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has IT access to the Washington department overseeing nuclear weapons, without a government background check, according to multiple reports.
Luke Farritor, 23, is now listed in the Department of Energy's staff directory as an "information engineer," E & E News reported. Newsweek has not been able to independently verify this information.
He was one of six young engineers hired by Musk to work at DOGE, according to reports from The New York Times and Wired magazine.
Read More on U.S.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Energy for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Farritor's placement in the Department of Energy, which oversees America's nuclear weapons, raises serious security and governance concerns because he hadn't been given a standard background investigation needed to access the department's system, according to reports. So Farritor apparently bypassed a security check which any other American citizen would be subject to and now has access to secret information which could potentially be used against his fellow citizens.
...
What To Know
Farritor, who is a former SpaceX employee, was given access to the Department of Energy's IT system by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, CNN reported, citing two people with knowledge of the situation. He has been given access to basic DOE IT services, including email and Microsoft 365. Newsweek has not been able to independently verify this information.
He is reportedly also listed as an "executive engineer" in the office of the secretary of health and human services, and was given access to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) systems and requested access to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) systems responsible for contracts, the Times reported.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) oversees America's nuclear weapons through the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semiautonomous agency within the DOE.
There is almost zero chance of a civilian without top secret clearance getting access to the U.S. nuclear missile arsenal controlled by Department of Defense's Strategic Command. The Department of Energy (DOE), through NNSA, is responsible for the research, development, testing, and maintenance of nuclear warheads. This includes conducting safety tests and dismantling unused weapons. Launch or deployment of nuclear weapons is managed by Strategic Command.
But the decision to give Farritor access reportedly came despite objections from members of the department's general counsel and chief information offices, according to CNN. They reportedly objected because Farritor hadn't had a standard background investigation needed to access the department's system.
"He's not cleared to be in DOE, on our systems. None of those things have been done," one person with knowledge of the situation told CNN. Newsweek has not been able to independently verify this information. The chief information office has a limited role in IT and cybersecurity for the NNSA, primarily managing connectivity and basic internet services at its headquarters, a source told CNN.
...
DOGE hire Farritor was reportedly seen in the DOE building on Wednesday, according to E & E News. It is not clear how long he was there or why he was there.
Following an election promise, Trump created DOGE in an executive order on his first day in office. The department, mandated by the U.S. electorate, is charged with "modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity." The order directs all relevant government agencies to establish teams of DOGE representatives.
But the exact scope of DOGE's power is still unclear. According to The Associated Press, DOGE has accessed sensitive Treasury payment information, including data on Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems, which has provoked backlash from lawmakers.
Previously, it was reported that DOGE staff had received equivalent training and security clearance to federal employees who work with sensitive information.
But Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, warned on CNN that all Americans' tax information may have been "compromised" and that "unelected billionaires and [Musk's] Silicon Valley right-wing friends may have access to all of your personal information."
Lawmakers also wrote to President Trump this week, and asked him to explain the specifics of Musk and DOGE's work at federal agencies.
On Wednesday, Democratic members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee attempted to subpoena Musk to answer questions under oath about DOGE's work. Republican members of the committee blocked the motion.
Who Is Luke Farritor?
Farritor is a former intern at Musk's SpaceX, where he worked 10 hour days writing software for the pumps, valves and other components that help fuel rockets.
He is now one of six engineers hired by Musk to work at DOGE. All six are between the ages of 19 and 24, leading some critics to raise concerns that these engineers lack government experience and the expertise to manage such a major task, although Musk supporters point to their prior accomplishments to back up why they should be part of DOGE. Their security vetting status is also not clear.
Before joining DOGE, Farritor was a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying computer science, and part of the 2024 class of Thiel Fellows, a program set up by Peter Thiel, the cofounder of PayPal and a major donor to the Republican Party.
As a college student, Farritor used artificial intelligence to help decode a scroll found in Herculaneum, a Greek city destroyed during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, nearly 2,000 years ago. "It was really cool. It was like, 'Oh my goodness. We actually detected new writing in the scrolls using AI.' That was the moment I realized that this was actually going to work," Farritor said in a video discussing the moment his algorithm revealed three Greek letters in the scroll.
What People Are Saying
Lawmakers said in a letter to President Trump this week: "Given the legal requirements to handle classified, sensitive, and personally identifiable information, we seek a swift explanation of how DOGE personnel's intrusion into and access to secure government spaces, data, and information systems comport with U.S. law and national security interests. DOGE's current approach appears to pose enormous risks to national security and to the privacy and civil liberties of Americans."
Former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson said on X (formerly Twitter): "Elon Musk seized control of our federal computer systems so he and his team of six engineers age 19 to 24 can simply decide for themselves what they think the government should and should not do. They keep what they think should be kept, and simply delete what they want to delete."
Nick Bednar, a University of Minnesota law professor, told Wired: "To the extent these individuals are exercising what would otherwise be relatively significant managerial control over two very large agencies that deal with very complex topics, it is very unlikely they have the expertise to understand either the law or the administrative needs that surround these agencies."
Evan Conrad, a cofounder of the San Francisco Compute Co., said on X: "I can't imagine a way to more convince tech to not be on your side than to bully a young genius who has volunteered for his country. I am quite anti trump, but I am incredibly pro luke farritor."
Richard Hanania, president of the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology, said on X: "Luke Farritor seems more than qualified to audit the work of government bureaucrats."
What Happens Next
Democrats are pushing for increased transparency at DOGE amid the backlash, though it remains to be seen how successful challenges against the task force will be.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has demanded that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revoke DOGE's access to Treasury payment systems.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines